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63-473: Independence is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California . Independence is located 41 miles (66 km) south-southeast of Bishop , at an elevation of 3930 feet (1198 m). It is the county seat of Inyo County, California. The population of this census-designated place was 669 at the 2010 census, up from 574 at the 2000 census. The small town of Independence is bisected by U.S. Route 395 ,

126-535: A 2014 edition with photography by Mojave Desert photographer Walter Feller , publisher by Counterpoint Press . In 2019, Silver Hollow Audio published the first audiobook edition, narrated by Ellen Parker . The Land of Little Rain is a collection of short stories and essays detailing the landscape and inhabitants of the American Southwest. A message of environmental conservation and a philosophy of cultural and sociopolitical regionalism loosely links

189-424: A CDP name "be one that is recognized and used in daily communication by the residents of the community" (not "a name developed solely for planning or other purposes") and recommend that a CDP's boundaries be mapped based on the geographic extent associated with inhabitants' regular use of the named place. There is no provision, however, that this name recognition be unanimous for all residents, or that all residents use

252-435: A detailed description of the environment and wildlife of Shoshone Land to form an intimate tie between Winnenap' and the land he formerly inhabited. In the beginning of the section, Jimville is touted as a better source of inspiration for Bret Harte than he found during his own travels. Jimville's inhabitants are likened to the fictional characters that were present in some of Harte's short stories. Austin portrays Jimville as

315-478: A man are worth it because it provides man with peace of mind and body that cannot be achieved any other way. The section's title refers to the trails made by wild animals moving towards sources of water across the landscape of an area known as the Ceriso. The Ceriso is not defined in the text, but in "The Last Antelope," Austin says that it "rises steeply from the tilted mesa overlooked by Black Mountain, darkly red as

378-461: A population of at least 10,000. For the 1970 Census , the population threshold for "unincorporated places" in urbanized areas was reduced to 5,000. For the 1980 Census , the designation was changed to "census designated places" and the designation was made available for places inside urbanized areas in New England. For the 1990 Census , the population threshold for CDPs in urbanized areas

441-407: A small town set in a harsh environment and inhabited by simple yet endearing toughs. Although the inhabitants endure many hardships, Austin claims that there is an almost unexplainable pull which keeps them in town and encourages new travelers to stay. The story is about a plot of land which changes hands many times—Austin characterizes this plot of land as an ideal field. She criticizes the owners of

504-484: A story of a simple people living in peace with their environment. With houses made of mud, homemade wine, and gardens to provide the fruits, vegetables, and herbs, the townspeople live a simple life without the complex notions of wealth and class that Austin feels have corrupted much of society. Austin describes the lives of the people living in the town, lives which consist of little more than planting, harvesting, eating, making music, raising children, and dancing. The end of

567-619: Is a book written by American writer Mary Hunter Austin . First published in 1903, it contains a series of interrelated lyrical essays about the inhabitants, both human and otherwise, and the arid landscape of the Owens Valley and the Mojave Desert of California. It is number two on the Zamorano Eighty list of significant early Californiana. The Land of Little Rain has been published six times. The first publication

630-415: Is able to match. This essay describes the various animals that live in the desert that feed upon carrion —most notably, the buzzards and the carrion crows. This scavenging is portrayed as a natural part of the desert, with a multitude of the scavengers working together to find food. The end of the story criticizes the actions of man with regard to the desert. The unnatural trash he leaves cannot be used by

693-809: Is directly west of Independence. According to the United States Census Bureau , Independence covers an area of 4.9 square miles (13 km), over 99% of it land. The elevation of Independence is 3,925 feet (1,196 m) above sea level. Independence, as well as most of the Owens Valley, has a high cool arid climate ( Köppen BWk ) with hot summers and cool winters. January temperatures range from an average high of 54.0 °F (12.2 °C) to an average low of 27.4 °F (−2.6 °C). July temperatures range from an average high of 97.6 °F (36.4 °C) to an average low of 63.9 °F (17.7 °C). The highest recorded temperature

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756-499: Is divided into fourteen chapters consisting of short stories and essays on nature. The progression from chapter to chapter is not readily apparent. The first four chapters outline the desert territory and follow the course of the streams and their associated wildlife. The next five chapters describe specific communities of people within the desert, all of which are connected tangentially by the water trails. The civilized and primitive communities are criticized or glorified, respectively. In

819-470: Is elevated and formal but made more conversational with informal colloquial language and jargon of the Southwest. The long and involved sentences often link abstractions to concrete images and description of the desert. The descriptions are subjective and characterized by laudatory, critical, or satiric language. They are further colored by abundant use of metaphors , similes , and hyperbole . The book

882-613: Is in the Inyo County Courthouse. The 2010 United States Census reported that Independence had a population of 669. The population density was 137.4 inhabitants per square mile (53.1/km). The racial makeup of Independence was 493 (73.7%) Whites , 6 (0.9%) African Americans , 98 (14.6%) Native Americans , 8 (1.2%) Asians , 1 (0.1%) Pacific Islanders , 28 (4.2%) from other races , and 35 (5.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 93 persons (13.9%). The Census reported that 603 people (90.1% of

945-654: The 1890 Census , in which the Census mixed unincorporated places with incorporated places in its products with "town" or "village" as its label. This made it confusing to determine which of the "towns" were or were not incorporated. The 1900 through 1930 Censuses did not report data for unincorporated places. For the 1940 Census , the Census Bureau compiled a separate report of unofficial, unincorporated communities of 500 or more people. The Census Bureau officially defined this category as "unincorporated places" in

1008-461: The 1950 Census and used that term through the 1970 Census. For the 1950 Census, these types of places were identified only outside " urbanized areas ". In 1960 , the Census Bureau also identified unincorporated places inside urbanized areas (except in New England , whose political geography is based on the New England town , and is distinctly different from other areas of the U.S.), but with

1071-401: The Mojave Desert . The book attempts to engage the reader by including direct, second person along with first and third person point of views. Common stereotypical images and ideas about the desert are presented and contrasted to the narrator's past experiences. Specific and intimate experiences with nature in the desert are reproduced in the present tense for the reader's benefit. The language

1134-494: The 1990 movie, Tremors , directed by Ron Underwood, was built and filmed in the hills above Independence. Census-designated place CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places , such as self-governing cities , towns , and villages , for the purposes of gathering and correlating statistical data. CDPs are populated areas that generally include one officially designated but currently unincorporated community, for which

1197-513: The CDP is named, plus surrounding inhabited countryside of varying dimensions and, occasionally, other, smaller unincorporated communities as well. CDPs include small rural communities, edge cities , colonias located along the Mexico–United States border , and unincorporated resort and retirement communities and their environs. The boundaries of any CDP may change from decade to decade, and

1260-479: The Census Bureau considers some towns in New England states, New Jersey and New York as well as townships in some other states as MCDs, even though they are incorporated municipalities in those states. In such states, CDPs may be defined within such towns or spanning the boundaries of multiple towns. There are a number of reasons for the CDP designation: The Land of Little Rain The Land of Little Rain

1323-485: The Census Bureau may de-establish a CDP after a period of study, then re-establish it some decades later. Most unincorporated areas within the United States are not and have not been included in any CDP. The boundaries of a CDP have no legal status and may not always correspond with the local understanding of the area or community with the same name. However, criteria established for the 2010 census require that

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1386-479: The Mojave Desert, each story and essay includes at least one of three themes: the supremacy and divinity of nature, the negative consequences of the disconnect between humans and nature, and the positive consequences of the harmony between humans and nature. Most chapters end with a direct moralizing paragraph emphasizing the theme, but several are less obvious and use allegories to illustrate the argument. As

1449-484: The boundaries for CDPs. The PSAP was to be offered to county and municipal planning agencies during 2008. The boundaries of such places may be defined in cooperation with local or tribal officials, but are not fixed, and do not affect the status of local government or incorporation; the territories thus defined are strictly statistical entities. CDP boundaries may change from one census to the next to reflect changes in settlement patterns. Further, as statistical entities,

1512-419: The boundaries of the CDP may not correspond with local understanding of the area with the same name. Recognized communities may be divided into two or more CDPs while on the other hand, two or more communities may be combined into one CDP. A CDP may also cover the unincorporated part of a named community, where the rest lies within an incorporated place. By defining an area as a CDP, that locality then appears in

1575-451: The ceaseless mining of resources, which destroy the land, though not irreparably. This suggests that just as the land of the Southwest needs to be rejuvenated, the cultures of the Southwest region, inherently tied to the land, need a cultural regeneration. Austin's Southwest-centric literature sets her firmly within the context of contemporary regionalist writers. Though less politically direct than some of her other essays and short stories,

1638-409: The central chapter, "Jimville—A Bret Harte Town", local color fiction is mocked as a superficial and distorted representation of mining towns. The final chapters follow the course of the streams and their associated wildlife backwards into the mountains, whereas the last chapter ends in an unspecified and ideal community within the desert. Aside from presenting a detailed account of the life and land of

1701-631: The central character in the book, nature is personified and deified. It is assigned agency—feelings and intentions—and autonomy from humans. Compared to descriptions of humans, the hyperbolic descriptions of nature are dramatic and theatrical. All that is spiritual, supernatural, and divine is reflected or contained in it. Accordingly, nature is supreme and has higher purposes independent of humans. The spiritual truths and divine mysteries manifested and reflected in nature supersede any human equivalent. Civilized humans are described in disparaging, condescending, or satiric ways. Their civilization does not better

1764-478: The chapters of The Land of Little Rain are meant to convey a sense of the necessity of using the land properly. For example, in "The Water Trails of the Ceriso," Austin details the way in which the various desert animals cooperate to share the watering hole and guide each other with their trails. Even the hunters forsake their predation to allow the hunted to quench their thirst at the watering hole so that both may continue to survive. These animals must work within

1827-588: The community for which the CDP is named for services provided therein. There is no mandatory correlation between CDP names or boundaries and those established for other human purposes, such as post office names or zones, political precincts, or school districts. The Census Bureau states that census-designated places are not considered incorporated places and that it includes only census-designated places in its city population list for Hawaii because that state has no incorporated cities. In addition, census city lists from 2007 included Arlington County, Virginia 's CDP in

1890-531: The damage human activity has done to the land. She criticizes the "unsightly scars" left by the Paiute Indians in the form of abandoned campoodies and the damaged plant life left by domesticated animals such as sheep. This story follows the life of Seyavi, a Paiute Indian who loses her mate, lives alone with her child, and sells baskets she weaves in order to survive. Austin claims that the Paiutes make

1953-594: The divide between the Owens Valley on the east and the rivers which drain into the San Joaquin Valley to the west. Independence is a popular resupply location for hikers trekking the 2,650 mile long Pacific Crest Trail which extends from the Mexican border to Canada along the crest of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Ranges. The highest pass along the entire trail, 13,153 foot (4009 m) Forester Pass ,

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2016-539: The divine in the universe. As such, these people create communal towns that have cultural harmony and closeness to God and are free from crime and class distinctions. The three themes culminate in the final chapter detailing the ideal earthy town created by primitive people. The reader is asked to abandon his or her modern life and live close to nature in order to experience peace, harmony, and divinity in this town that may not exist, suggesting that this renewed connection to nature will in fact come primarily via literature and

2079-497: The field, the Indians and shepherds , because their habits and lifestyle scar the land. At the end of the episode, it is revealed that the field is destined to develop into an urban area. Austin claims that while the field may at that point serve a greater human use, it will not be better for the land and all life. This section describes one of the trails that runs through the American Southwest. It contains several passages detailing

2142-507: The intellect. Austin does not make explicit political statements in The Land of Little Rain . With her voice marginalized by the male-dominated nature movement at the time, Austin's politics work instead through the aesthetics of representation; The Land of Little Rain is itself a critique of patriarchal conventions of nature writing . It speaks to what Heike Schafer calls an " aesthetic political agenda". Austin's vivid descriptions of

2205-400: The land in the novel are intended to suggest a sort of "regionalized utopia " that requires an intimate understanding of the land. Austin feels that in order to achieve social harmony, humanity has to work with nature, not against it. The stories in The Land of Little Rain feature the deleterious influences of man on nature, including the wasting of pastures by grazing domesticated herds and

2268-411: The land itself their home, with the natural ridges of mountains as walls and the wild almond bloom as their furnishings. It is because of this that Austin argues that the Paiutes will always be homesick when in homes built by man, as man cannot replicate nature's walls and furnishings. This essay consists of long description of mountains and their respective trails. The section characterizes the beauty of

2331-475: The land teaches people things. The story uses the example of a group of Native Americans who learn the use of smoke signals by observing the dust pillars formed by desert winds at the edges of mesas. The end of the story expresses Austin's discontent at how people have dealt with the weather by determining the best seasons to plant crops rather than by musing about the "eternal meanings of the skies". "The Little Town of Grape Vines," or El Pueblo de Las Uvas, tells

2394-463: The limitations of the land, allowing their trails to be followed and their prey to have a haven, in order for their entire ecosystem to function and survive. While not explicitly part of the nature fakers controversy of the early 20th century, Austin's work reflects a clear opposition to writers like Ernest Thompson Seton and Charles G. D. Roberts . The Land of Little Rain is written in highly descriptive, but very dry prose that contains little in

2457-556: The list with the incorporated places, but since 2010, only the Urban Honolulu CDP, Hawaii, representing the historic core of Honolulu, Hawaii , is shown in the city and town estimates. The Census Bureau reported data for some unincorporated places as early as the first census in 1790 (for example, Louisville, Kentucky , which was not legally incorporated in Kentucky until 1828), though usage continued to develop through

2520-623: The main north–south highway through the Owens Valley . The Sierra Nevada mountains to the west lie within the John Muir Wilderness Area . Onion Valley, one of the principal entry routes to the John Muir Wilderness , is accessed via the Onion Valley road which heads directly west out of Independence. This trail takes hikers to Kings Canyon / Sequoia National Parks which protect the Sierra Nevada west of

2583-431: The mountains and their inhabitants. The story also contains critiques people who dwell in man-made houses. The comfort provided by such houses, Austin argues, results in people not being able to truly understand the beauty and divinity of the mountains. The essay revolves around the streams and lakes that can be found in the mountains, generally formed from the melting snow higher in the mountains. The particular mountain in

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2646-435: The mountains. This is followed by a series of descriptions of the variety of plants that the irrigation ditch allows to thrive. Found within these depictions of plant life is Austin's lament of the complexities of civilization. Austin implies that with the advent of cities and manufactured objects people have lost an innate ability to know what natural remedies may be beneficial or detrimental to one's health. The "nurslings of

2709-510: The pocket hunter wants to strike it rich in order to move to Europe and mingle with the landed elite, a goal he accomplishes. However, by the end of the story, the pocket hunter returns to the desert since it is his "destiny". " Shoshone Land" narrates the experiences of Winnenap', an American Indian medicine man originally from Shoshone Land who was captured by the Paiute tribe. The story initially revolves around Winnenap', but quickly changes to

2772-625: The population) lived in households, 8 (1.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 58 (8.7%) were institutionalized. There were 301 households, out of which 57 (18.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 131 (43.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 20 (6.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 8 (2.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 13 (4.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 3 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 122 households (40.5%) were made up of individuals, and 47 (15.6%) had someone living alone who

2835-623: The population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 193 people (28.8%) lived in rental housing units. In the state legislature , Independence is in the 8th Senate District , represented by Democrat Angelique Ashby , and the 26th Assembly District , represented by Democrat Evan Low . Independence is in California's 3rd congressional district , represented by Republican Kevin Kiley . The film set for Burt and Heather's house played by Michael Gross and Reba McEntire, in

2898-431: The red cattle that graze among the honey colored hills," and that it is "not properly mesa nor valley, but a long healed crater miles wide, rimmed about with the jagged edge of the old cone." The essay provides descriptions of the many animals that travel along the trails, including coyotes, rabbits, and quails. Their ability to find water where there seems to be none is extolled by Austin, a skill which she believes no human

2961-457: The same category of census data as incorporated places. This distinguishes CDPs from other census classifications, such as minor civil divisions (MCDs), which are in a separate category. The population and demographics of the CDP are included in the data of county subdivisions containing the CDP. Generally, a CDP shall not be defined within the boundaries of what the Census Bureau regards to be an incorporated city, village or borough. However,

3024-457: The scavengers in the story, and as such serves as a stark contrast to the desert's natural processes for recycling waste. A pocket hunter is a type of miner who hunts for pockets of ore deposits. In the story, the pocket hunter described by Mary Austin lives off of the land with minimal interactions with the civilized world. This harmony with nature, Austin argues, is essential to the pocket hunter's simple happiness. Despite Austin's muted praise,

3087-418: The sky" are storms, formed in the hills and given almost human characteristics by Austin. The beginning of the story contains an account of the destruction of a town by floods and snow. The blame for the events is not placed on nature, but rather the people whose poorly placed town was destroyed. The story continues with descriptions of storms and their effects upon the wildlife of the area, pausing to explain how

3150-467: The stories together. The opening essay describes the "Country of Lost Borders," an area of land between Death Valley and the High Sierras . The image created of the land at the beginning of the story is one of almost unbearable heat and dryness, punctuated by violent storms. Despite the description of how inhospitable the landscape is, at the end Austin proposes that the costs the land imposes upon

3213-525: The story is Oppapago, a mountain within the Sierras in a forest reserve. Austin contrasts the mountain landscape to a meadow outside a forest reserve, which lacks color and beauty because it is damaged by the grazing of sheep. "Other Water Borders" is centered more on the plants affected by the water from the mountains, both wild and cultivated. The story begins with a depiction of a squabble between several locals over an irrigation ditch filled by water from

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3276-470: The story is a call back to the simple life exemplified in "The Little Town of the Grape Vines," criticizing those people who are overly obsessed with their own perceived importance in a world where their actions truly matter little. The Land of Little Rain is characterized as both "local color" and non-fiction, scientific writing . It was written for an urban American audience unfamiliar with life in

3339-486: The street from the Inyo County Courthouse, is a California Historical Landmark # 223. Independence began as the US Army Camp Independence (two miles north of the current town) established by Lieutenant Colonel George S. Evans on July 4, 1862. Colonel Evans established the camp at the request of local settlers who feared hostilities from the local indigenous tribes. The camp was soon closed, but

3402-456: The way of traditional plot. Austin saw her position as one of observation, not sentimentalization . Her work contrasted with contemporary fictionalized accounts of nature—stories about the lives of animals that were highly disingenuous, enamoring children with fantasies about the natural world. Austin used her popularity to sell people on the merits of the sort of "true" nature writing found in The Land of Little Rain . The Land of Little Rain

3465-513: The world, but only disrupts the more divine processes and purposes of nature. Moreover, humans lose touch with their own instinctual knowledge, spirituality, and true purpose because of the disconnect with nature. Primitive humans, or humans closer to nature and farther from the artifice of civilization, are glorified and idealized. The American Indians and the white people who commune with nature are described as genuine, dignified, virtuous, and holy. They accept their subordinate position to nature and

3528-524: Was 10.71 inches (272.0 mm) in January 1969. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 5.27 inches (133.9 mm) on December 6, 1966. Snowfall varies greatly from year to year, averaging only 5.5 inches or 0.14 metres. Charles Putnam founded a trading post at the site in 1861. It became known as Putnam's, and later Little Pine from the Little Pine Creek. The site of Putnam's Cabin, across

3591-452: Was 115 °F (46.1 °C) in June 2017. The lowest recorded temperature was −5 °F (−20.6 °C) on January 9, 1937. There are an average of 97.7 afternoons annually with highs of 90 °F (32.2 °C) or higher and an average of 88.1 mornings with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or less. Annual precipitation averages only 5.82 inches (148 mm). The most precipitation in one month

3654-418: Was 51.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.2 males. There were 389 housing units at an average density of 79.9 per square mile (30.8/km), of which 301 were occupied, of which 210 (69.8%) were owner-occupied, and 91 (30.2%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.1%. 410 people (61.3% of

3717-406: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00. There were 159 families (52.8% of all households); the average family size was 2.70. The population was spread out, with 100 people (14.9%) under the age of 18, 54 people (8.1%) aged 18 to 24, 117 people (17.5%) aged 25 to 44, 259 people (38.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 139 people (20.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

3780-500: Was established in 1866. United States Army General John K. Singlaub (1921 – 2022) was born in Independence. The Eastern California Museum with extensive collections, exhibits, and programs; is located at 155 North Grant Street in Independence. The home of author Mary Austin , the author of The Land of Little Rain , is preserved as a museum located at 235 Market Street in Independence. The Inyo County Free Library

3843-610: Was in 1903 by Houghton Mifflin . Subsequent publications include a 1950 abridged version with photographs by Ansel Adams (also by Houghton Mifflin), a 1974 illustrated version by E. Boyd Smith published by University of New Mexico Press , a 1988 edition with an introduction by Edward Abbey published as part of the Penguin Nature Library by Penguin Books , and a 1997 edition published with an introduction by Terry Tempest Williams , also published by Penguin Books, and

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3906-506: Was re-established as Fort Independence when hostilities resumed in 1865. The fort was finally abandoned in 1877, and it is currently a reservation for the Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians . Independence became the seat of Inyo County in 1866 when its chief competitor for the honor, a mining camp called Kearsarge , disappeared under an avalanche . The first post office at Independence

3969-481: Was reduced to 2,500. From 1950 through 1990, the Census Bureau specified other population requirements for unincorporated places or CDPs in Alaska , Puerto Rico , island areas, and Native American reservations . Minimum population criteria for CDPs were dropped with the 2000 Census . The Census Bureau's Participant Statistical Areas Program (PSAP) allows designated participants to review and suggest modifications to

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